A Series of Miscommunications
by SemiIntelligentZombie
Summary: In which Hermione, resident know-it-all book worm, takes a lesson off infamous airhead Fleur Delacour and learns a thing or two about emotions along the way. -Also in which an author is terrible at summaries-
1. The Dawn of Drama

**/Hey, so this is my first officially published fanfiction on this account (whoop) and the pairing will, of course, be Fleurmione if you couldn't tell by the summary and tags 9I know I'm not the best at summaries in general so) I do hope you enjoy**

**A/N: I don't own any of this but the plotline/**

The Great Hall was abuzz with noise after the previous announcement; Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry would be hosting the infamous Triwizard tournament and, in turn, 2 other European schools.

For a certain bushy-haired book worm, this announcement meant little to her. Her domain was the library, and with how extensive and large it is, it wouldn't matter if 100 schools came to Hogwarts if they all had the same attitudes to learning as her current classmates, for the library would still be barren. Her name was Hermione Granger, and her honey brown eyes rolled as the excited chatter bounced off the walls of the Great Hall. Of course, she thought, they would be excited - what reason did they have to not be? But for Hermione, it meant more judgemental stares, more whispers and more mockery of her habits and dedication to studying; something she endured regularly, even with the shielding of The-Boy-Who-Lived and infamous 6th child of the Weasley clan (Harry Potter and Ron Weasley).

She pushed her food about her plate, a sigh of boredom passing her lips as Dumbledore waited patiently for the noise to die down."I know this brings an air of excitement and rivalry to school, but I must remind you not to be too caught up in the tournament as to forget the importance of international friendship and, of course, classes." Hermione's snort didn't go unnoticed by the raven and ginger haired boys, who gave a look of confusion before refocusing their attention back to the Headmaster. She could hardly get a break, incident after incident (It did come with being friends with a danger magnet such as Harry) but it appeared that it would be a year-round incident this time, one determined to give her a headache. Biting her lip, she zoned out on what was being said, finding the information unimportant and preferring to think ahead on something more pleasurable, like spending hours upon hours amongst piles of dusty tomes dating back to ancient times.

Sudden applause filled the hall, as did the scraping of benches signaling the end of dinner. Hermione looked around before standing and making her way through the throng of people towards Gryffindor tower and into the dorms, changing and going to sleep.

Her dreams, however, were less than peaceful, plagued with a blonde haired beauty and deep blue eyes staring into her soul, causing her to wake more than once in a cold sweat. By the time she had had enough, it was 4:12 am and the rays of light from dawn were just about crossing the horizon over the extensive grounds of the old castle, casting a golden glow as far as the eye could see.

It was truly was a beautiful sight, despite the lack of sleep and regret Hermione would feel in her classes later. She got ready for class and looked into the mirror, noting the bags that were already prominent and rolled her eyes. It wasn't as if she took much time and care for her appearance anyways, so it didn't matter all that much to her. Checking the time, she saw it was only 5:30 so she decided to read her textbooks and sweep up on her knowledge before class despite her not knowing what classes she had that day.

Finally, the time reached 7 and the girls had come to life one by one, getting ready for the day, so she left and headed down to the Great Hall to eat a mundane breakfast and receive her time table for the day.

First was Charms, then it was History, then double Transfiguration and finally Ancient Runes. All in all, it wasn't a horrible day - her only classes with the Slytherin's was charms, with history being with the Hufflepuffs, Transfiguration with Ravenclaws and Ancient Runes being a mixed class due to it being an elective. A small smile graced her lips as she finished her breakfast, pulling out her Grade 4 Charms book and scanning through the first two chapters, finally finishing as the bell signaled for the day to begin.

The day seemed to fly by, with all her classes not really challenging her as much as she'd prefer, and at lunch and break she would grab some fruit and head to the library to study some higher level tomes before heading off to her next class. She settled into her regular routine quite easily considering the summer break, and let her thoughts wander to her dream about the pretty blonde girl and her captivating eyes.

After dinner, she entered the common room to an excitement she had never really felt before, even from Quidditch. Harry waved her over, and Ron muttered to himself. "Hey Hermione, where've you been?" He asked, his eyes shifting about the common room as he got comfortable in their claimed spot.  
"The Library as always, why is everyone here so gleeful?" She shot back.  
"Weren't you listening? Dumbledore told us that tonight is the night that the other schools arrive for the Triwizard tournament. Honestly Hermione, and you tell us off for getting distracted." Ron said, tuning into the conversation.  
"Oh right." She said with dwindling interest as the conversation lulled into a comfortable silence. She wondered when they would be getting there, or how, or even how many students there will be from each school.

These questioned swirled around her brain as McGonagall stepped into the common room and told everyone to make their way down to the front lawn to be there ready for when the guests arrive. Gryffindor left as one, and the crowd seemed to get louder the closer they got, the air filled with energy and anticipation.

However, the longer they waited for the arrival, the more the energy seemed to die, and just as all hope was lost, something appeared to break the surface of the Great Lake. A grand ship, huge and dark, floated to the top, and cheers and screams of equal measures sounded as the closed in on the surface, anchoring down.  
"Ah, it appears the champions from Dumstrang have arrived. Karkaroff! My good man, how are you?"  
"Dumbledore. I am svell, thank you. Ve are cold, may ve wait inside?" The man with a goatee (newly identified as Dumstrang's headmaster) inquired.  
"Why of course, we will wait for the Beauxbaton's delegation out here." Dumbledore said, amid many groans and moans of the shivering student body. Karkaroff nodded, and many men in fur robes passed, one of whom Ron pointed out to be Viktor Krum."Viktor Krum! In our school! No way! You reckon I could get his autograph?" He said to no one in particular.

After what seems like an age, a speck in the sky slowly got closer and closer, with each passing guess becoming more incredulous. Finally, a horse-drawn carriage landed gracefully upon the lawn, with steps and a door opening soon after. "Madame Maxine! My fair lady, how do you do?"  
"Dumbley-door! I am well, 'ow are 'ou?" Her voice rumbled as she enveloped the headmaster into a hug, being a whole foot and a half taller.

Girls stepped out of the carriage in periwinkle blue uniform, shivering and chattering away rapidly in French. Hermione tried to keep up, as she was fairly well versed in French, and managed to catch large majorities of the conversations, most of them complaining about the weather. She was about to turn to Harry and Ron to complain, but just before she did, she caught a glimpse of those ocean blue eyes staring right back at her, and everything else seemed to fade away.


	2. Complain Much?

**/Ayyyyyy another chapter done so it seems, this is kinda a **slowburn** which is something I didn't establish at the beginning, or at least I think it is? I have no real structure for this as it doesn't really affect the plot either way so it might not be who knows!**  
**A/N: Wish I did, but I don't own this/**

Those eyes. Those damn eyes; they stared into her soul, made her feel vulnerable, weak, exposed. But she couldn't look away. Surely enough, the French witch plastered her face with a smug smile as Hermione joined the group of idiots staring at her and drooling over her like a piece of meat. Her logical side of the brain kicked in, and she scowled and purposely turned the other way, angry at herself for staring so blatantly and at the girl for being so smug about it. She knew she shouldn't be so quick to judge - after all, it's what caused her pitiful excuse for a social life, even now, surrounded by people in a completely separate world, one she could call her own, but something inside her switched when she saw that girl and she didn't like it. Hermione tried to rationalise her dislike and excuse it due to the fact they seemed so deadset on complaining about everything and anything they laid their eyes upon, or maybe it was the sheer jealousy that most the school liked these girls within seconds of seeing them and none of them liked her after 4 years of knowing her.

Either way, that moment onwards, Hermione had made her mind up about the French women. She would not associate with them, not climb up to their high and mighty horses and stroke their ego with her attention - she had more important things to worry about, like her grades and ever refreshing realizations of how advanced she was in comparison to her classmates on the material they were studying.

This train of thought reminded her of one of her previous inquiries that she was hoping to make to the Headmaster. She desperately needed something to keep her preoccupied and Hogwarts curriculum at the level she was studying simply wasn't hard enough nor on her level of intellect. She desperately wanted to improve her knowledge but the few hours a day she got in between lessons and after weren't helping all too much, and soon she knew that time would be reduced down further due to the amount of homework that was already being piled on so far into the term. So she scanned around looking for any sign of Dumbledore to see if he was free and available for a private conversation about her studies, but to no avail, as it appeared he had already escaped the nipping cold air that blew around them on the grounds.

Sighing gently, she followed the mass crowd into the hall as they all prepared for the introduction ceremony made by the two other schools, and, more importantly, the feast that was being held in their honour.

She took her usual seat at Gryffindor table, squashed in the middle of Harry and Ron, and waited rather impatiently for food to appear. Grumbling, she paid little attention to Dumbledore's speech and was startled to feel and hear the banging that came along with the since forgotten introduction ceremony that the Bulgarian school was performing. She watched with rapt attention, trying to soak in as much knowledge as possible about their culture, location, and school all from their outfits, how they held themselves and their performance ceremony. It seemed to Hermione that they were based somewhere cold with a military-like culture where strength and dominance were of high importance, as well as discipline and self-restraint. One boy with a shaven head and brown eyes seemed to stare at her a fair bit throughout the ceremony as they stomped their way up the aisle, and Ron elbowed her in excitement. "Viktor Krum is staring at us!" He whispered, elated that his favourite Quidditch player appeared to be taking notice of him.

Finally, those girls in their blue uniform huddled at the door. They chatted together with looks of disdain upon their faces as they looked about the hall. Hermione rolled her eyes, could they get anymore snobby? She thought. The one with the blue eyes and blonde hair stepped to the front, making eye contact with her again; Hermione's eyes narrowed and she made sure not to lose it like she did last time. The girl broke eye contact, turning to whisper something to her classmates, before gracefully stepping forwards.

They seemed to be doing a dance, but the elegant way at which they did it made it appear as though they were floating on a cloud, with blue butterflies coming out of their robes and flying around. Some of the butterflies, namely the one from the mysterious girl's robes swarmed towards Hermione, landing on and about her and fluttering above her head as she glared at the girl for doing this on purpose. Said girl smirked at Hermione and as her group danced away, she winked and left Hermione with a faint blush, hammering heart and simmering anger. How dare she look at me? She thought, her rage growing slowly. Her heart continued to hammer, and Hermione feared that the people around her could hear it - it was undeniably loud and relentless.

She sat brooding on the bench even as the song finished and Ron motioned for Viktor and the rest of Dumstrang to sit with Gryffindor, and even when he moaned when they sat with Slytherin and Malfoy smiled smugly at him as Krum sat right next to him. This continued throughout the entire evening and only got worse when the mysterious girl came over to the table and turned all the boys in a 10-foot radius into a laughing stock. "Are you done weef ze bouillabaisse? " She asked, fluttering her eyelashes her thick French accent entranced all that could hear. Ron turned purple and Hermione hmph'd aggressively sinking further into her seat. Harry coughed slightly and turned slightly red, but otherwise showed no other signs of being affected by her."Yeah, you can have it." He said, passing her the bowl.  
"Ou' are finished weef eet?" She asked politely, hanging over Hermione slightly. She smelled of vanilla and parchment and an expensive flowery perfume that Hermione couldn't identify. Ron choked: "Yeah-yeah... It was brilliant." His words came out as stutters and mumbles as he turned a nasty shade of purple and green, and the girl smiled sweetly before walking away with it, and both boys let out a sigh. "They don't make them like that in Hogwarts," Ron said, before proceeding to shovel food into his mouth like a pig. Hermione rather agreed although she argued for different reasons. At least here at Hogwarts we know manners, she thought snidely to herself. Although she couldn't fault how polite she was, she could feel the girl's stare on her back and it infuriated her to unknown ends.

The meal ended, and Dumbledore had announced that the schools will be staying in the places they arrived, which left a feeling of relief and confusion within Hermione as she entered the common room. She looked out the window to see the girls from Beaubaxtons giggling and shivering as they walked across the grounds in the dwindling sunlight, and saw the way the dying embers of light reflected of the sheet of platinum hair that strode ahead.

Scowling, Hermione headed up to bed, tossing and turning all night long, a thick, heavy, French accent echoing in her head all night.


	3. Take A Hint

Chapter 3

**/Sorry this chapter has taken so long in comparison to the others, I was on a residential and then had some unfortunate news, but without further ado, here is the third chapter of A Series of Miscommunications**  
**A/N: Not me property aye/**

Hermione scowled heavily at her reflection. Blast that godforsaken girl, she thought, as she took note of the large bags and slightly glazed look in her eyes. Her skin was pale and her bushy mane was particularly bad today, and her bad mood didn't help with her all-around rough aura that she seemed to be emitting.

She sighed and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water cascade down her body as she thought upon her dreams that night. The French woman confused her to no end, and she didn't like feeling out of the loop, so it was no surprise that she felt a budding dislike for the girl. It had to be jealousy, she thought, what other reason did she have to think about her? Hermione didn't even know her name for god's sake, and it already seemed that she was captivated. It irritated her beyond reason and she had to admit she was more than a little curious about her reaction to the witch and just her in general, as much as it upset her to do so. She had a weird urge to get to know the witch, to test her character and knowledge; the other side of her, however, wanted to assume all that she could based on what she had already observed and be done with the headache that the mysterious French girl was. Hermione liked a challenge; she liked to work her brain and expand her knowledge - she did not like the flowing blonde locks that surrounded a perfect and porcelain face, or the sultry accent that was directed at her.

Shutting off the water, Hermione stepped out of the shower and prepared herself for the coming day. It was the first breakfast with the new arrivals and the time at which they arrived and where they sat would be a good indicator as to who they were as people and where their priorities lied.

The nip of the air got to her so she pulled out one of her various gold and red scarves and shoved into her school bag, ready for later when she would be wandering about the castle and grounds trying to get to lesson. Making sure she had packed everything, she left the dorm just as the girls in it began to stir.

The walk down to the Great Hall was mostly empty, as very few students liked to be up at this time, even when there were classes that day. It was peaceful, almost, and Hermione breathed deeply as she thought about how comforting her home away from home could sometimes be. She loved here at Hogwarts, as much as she hated the judgement and the stares and how stupid Harry and Ron could sometimes be, as well as the tendency to attract trouble and therefore break rules. She didn't like breaking rules but she enjoyed the inclusion that came with breaking them with Harry and Ron and the adventures she never would've even imagined in her wildest daydreams.

Rounding a corner, she bumped into someone and was almost sent sprawling to the floor.  
"Mon dieu!" The voice shouted as Hermione felt a strong arm wrap around her waist in a desperate attempt to stop her from falling. She froze at the French words, and that tantalizing perfume attacked her senses as she looked up to see who she had walked into. Staring down at her was that annoying blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty.  
"Mes excuse... Oh, eet ees 'ou, non? Ze infamous 'Ermione Granger." She said, her grip on Hermione's waist not loosening one bit as the girl's face contorted into a cocky smile.  
"Excuse me? Infamous? Wait a minute, how do you know my name?" She asked, skepticism and disdain lacing her tone.  
"Mmm, ma belle, one doez not come to 'Ogwarts wizout doing their research, non? I belieef 'ou owe me a zank 'ou anywayz." The girl spoke with an increasingly smug voice, her eyes wandering over Hermione's flushing face.  
"For what exactly, may I ask? You bumped into me!" She argued back, pulling herself out of the French's grip.  
"I do not theenk that ees true, mon amie, for eef 'ou had been looking where eet ees 'ou were going, we would not be in the predicament, non?" She chuckled, her eyes filling with mirth as she watched Hermione's growing annoyance. Doubt filled Hermione as she realised what the witch was saying was actually the truth, and she begrudgingly apologised.  
"That ees more like it. Now, let me introduce myself. My name ees Fleur Delacour, and I am at your service." She said, taking a slight bow and winking. Hermione had to admit, the newly identified Fleur was very charismatic, and it made her head swim a bit.  
"Yes, well, Miss Delacour, if you don't mind, I'm late for breakfast," Hermione responded, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.  
"'Ou are going down to breakfast? May I join 'ou?" It was poised as a question, but Hermione knew it was more of a demand than anything. Irritated and hungry, she nodded her head and stepped around her, heading off to the hall in silence as Fleur trailed behind her.

When she reached the doors, she scanned the room briefly and found barely any Hogwarts students to be there, but most, if not all, of the other schools appeared to be sitting and eating, conversing easily amongst themselves and with the odd student.  
"Ah, I see my clazmates have already sat down. Eet waz a pleazure to meet you, Mademoiselle Granger." Fleur said, before grabbing her hand and bringing it up so that her lips gently brushed it. Hermione blushed and glared at the girl, pulling her hand back as Fleur chuckled and walked to sit with her classmates who welcomed her into their folds with ease.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down, eating her breakfast and reading her most recent interest in Grade 6 charms as a steady stream of students began to enter the Hall.

Harry and Ron plonked themselves down opposite Hermione with 20 minutes before class and began to shovel food into their mouths. "Where were you this morning, Hermione?" Ron asked with a full mouth, bits of egg spraying over the table. Hermione scrunched her face in disgust and put away her book.  
"Unlike you Ronald, I like an early start to the morning so I can get some reading in before classes." She snapped, getting up from the table and grabbing her book bag. Storming out the Great Hall, she suddenly wondered where she would go, with 15 minutes before class and the grounds being too frosty to navigate without necessity. Hermione sighed before deciding that she'd slowly make her way to her first class whilst reading some more.

Often when things like this happened, she was reminded of how alone she sometimes felt. Admittedly, she felt like she belonged more here than at home in any muggle school or sometimes her own household when her parents gave her weird looks when they thought she couldn't see them after another story about some of her classes or the people in them. Wallowing a little, she let the despair she'd kept at bay for a while swallow her for a brief period of time, and before she knew it, the bell was signaling for her to get to class.

\- Time Skip -

She exited the final class of the day and stretched her neck and back, clicking in multiple places as the stiffness dissipated slightly. She made her way down to the Great Hall at a leisurely pace, having no real reason to rush. It was a Friday and Dinner lasted for a while so she could truly enjoy strolling the halls as they emptied of people and noise.  
"Mon amie!" A voice called to her, and she spun around on her heel to see Fleur taking long, elegant strides towards her,  
"Fleur... hello." She said, barely hiding her contempt for the girl.  
"'Ermione. 'Ou are going to dinner, non? I weel walk weef 'ou." She said, falling into step next to the bushy-haired witch. Hermione merely shrugged and they settled into an awkward silence, making their ways through the eery corridors.  
"Zo... 'ow are 'our classes?" She asks casually, staring straight ahead with a rather content expression.  
"They're okay - maybe a little boring," Hermione admitted, unsure why she was talking to the girl.  
"Ah I zee, ze great 'Ermione Granger ees too, 'ow 'ou say, astucieux for 'er classes." the blonde girl laughed slightly, her pearly white teeth shining slightly in the candlelight. Harumphing, Hermione felt too dignified to grace the woman with a response and so the silence continued once more. They reached the Great Hall, and once more Fleur turned to Hermione with a soft smile on her face.  
"I belieef thees ees w'ere we part, non? I weel see 'ou later, mon amie." She says, bringing Hermione's hand up to her mouth and grazing her knuckles with a gentle kiss. Without waiting for a response, she bounced to her friends, with multiple heads turning to drool over her.

Hermione felt a slight annoyance at that, and she marked it up to jealously at how she could look so pretty even after a day of classes and sitting in her uniform. Sitting at the Gryffindor table, she began to pile a healthy amount of food onto her plate as Ron and Harry barely acknowledged her, too deep in their conversation about Quidditch, more specifically Viktor Krum.

Dinner came to an end and with it the scraping of benches and the low chatter of the student body. To Hermione's chagrin, nobody seemed to be in a rush, but she wanted to get through so she could make her way to the library and start to properly study her new and higher-level texts.

After what seemed an eternity, she entered the Libray and found her usual table tucked away towards the back and in the corner.

The content she was studying was riveting and she was positively buzzing with excitement at the idea of learning more of what she had managed to see in a half an hour reading session. As she licked her fingers to turn the next page, she heard some footsteps and shuffling coming towards her, but paid it no mind. It was probably Madam Pince checking her library catalogues and since these texts were her own purchases, she had nothing to worry about. The footsteps got closer and closer, and she could smell something vaguely familiar. She was about to look up and see who it was but the sudden exclamation of "Merde!" and then the shattering of a bottle of ink which just so happened to land right on Hermione's table, splattering her and her belongings with black ink.

She rounded on the person ready to yell when she met the sheepish eyes of Fleur Delacour.  
"Ahh, ahem, 'ello 'Ermione, it seems I may 'ave had a little, how you say, mésaventure." Her eyes shifted nervously over the splashed ink, the inky belongings and one enraged Hermione Granger.


	4. Oh, Shoot

**/I'm back from the dead! I don't know how long it'll be before I can get another update up as I'm doing some charity work and it's pretty time consuming but enjoy!**  
**A/N: If ONLY I came up with this universe/**

"FLEUR!" Hermione shrieked, shaking her fists at the sheepish looking French woman.  
"Ahhhh, non, 'Ermione, pleaze! Geeve me a chance to apologize, mon cher! I am zo zorry!" Fleur exclaimed, pulling out her wand and siphoning the ink from her belongings. The books, however, were still stained and Hermione looked them over before sighing.  
"They're ruined..." She muttered, dropping them on the table with a loud thunk.  
"They were so expensive too..." Tearing up, Hermione started to shove her belongings in her bag, not looking up at Fleur.  
"'Ermione please! Let me pay for zose." She said, reaching out to stop the brunette.  
"Don't touch me Fleur." She whispered harshly before standing up straight, brushing herself off before exiting the library, leaving a flustered and somewhat upset Fleur in her wake.

Fleur turned to the table Hermione had left and heaved a sigh. If only she hadn't have tripped, she thought. She reached out to trace the cracks and bumps in the wooden slab, before coming across the books that Hermione had forgotten. It was the ink-stained ones. She flipped them over and looked at the titles, and then studied the pages the best she could with the splatters of black over them.

It's then when a sudden realisation hit her. She pulled out some parchment, ink and a quill and scribbled quickly. Finishing, she carefully folded the piece of paper and put it in her pocket, leaving the library as she did.

Hermione sniffled her way through the corridors, trying to hold her tears in as she traveled the seemingly abandoned building, not wanting to be caught by someone crying. She couldn't believe what Fleur had done, and those books were extremely costly and such a rare find and now she couldn't even study them. She was stuck with the material Hogwarts had to offer, which saddened and angered her further at the thought. Just because she was younger didn't mean she shouldn't be able to study more advanced material than she was. Everyone could see how much work she put in and how high her grades were and she's sure the teachers had noticed the fact that she doesn't even need to pay attention in class to get the answers right.

Arriving at Gryffindor common room, she was glad nobody paid her any mind. She made her way up to the dormitory, collapsing into bed.

Despite her exhaustion, she couldn't seem to sleep. All she could think about was the french witch, assumably in anger. She was so upset that Fleur had done that she couldn't even find it in herself to suggest it might've been an accident as it appeared to be. She wanted someone to blame and Fleur was the perfect victim as she was the one that caused it. She had just wanted to study some more, to gather more knowledge and it had been ruined.

With that thought in mind and a slowly building anger, Hermione felt the tendrils of sleep finally close in around her as she gave herself up to the darkness skirting the edges of her vision.

The next morning, chatter rang throughout the hall. It was Halloween, meaning that the contestants for the TriWizard tournament would be chosen. Hermione had no interest in the event but, sadly, it was mandatory like every year due to the fact it was a feast too.

She begrudgingly sat through her classes, making brief notes when needed, which wasn't very often and hid out at the library in her breaks. So far, the year had already been terrible and it had barely started. The Slytherins were being as rude as ever, and it appeared that whenever she was in the library a little entourage of Viktor Krum's fan group would randomly appear, giggling and whispering until Hermione got so irritated she had to leave.

The hall was decorated in pumpkins and the floating candles were as eery as ever. People filled in slowly, the noise climbing to a high as everyone animatedly spoke to one another, wondering who would be chosen for the championship. They had all heard of the Weasley twin's debacle earlier that morning and were still laughing at the image of them rolling around with beards akin to Dumbledore's and arguing over who was right and who was wrong. The image made Hermione smirk, as she had told them it wouldn't work but they hadn't listened. It also reminded her of who else had put their names in, such as Viktor Krum who seemed to stare at her as he left the hall with his posse, and the despicable french woman who pleaded silently with her to meet her eyes and greet her back - she didn't, of course, as Hermione was still furious over the books and hadn't got it in her to forgive the blonde yet.

Sitting down, she noticed the flock of owls that seemed to be coming down, dropping treats and various packages for students. Not paying much mind - Hermione rarely got mail, she didn't notice an elegant eagle owl swoop down and land in front of her with a sizeable package. It wasn't until Harry nudged her that she noticed the bird who was preening itself. She inhaled sharply, admiring the beauty and the way the lights gleamed off its feathers, reminding her of a certain french witch.  
"You're so pretty... Who's your owner? Is that package for me?" Hermione murmured, hesitantly stroking the bird's chest, who puffed up at the attention. It let out a soft hoot of agreement before flying off out the window, leaving a rather weighty package and a confused Hermione behind.

Hermione looked at the package before deciding to read the note that came with it.  
'Dear Hermione,  
Do not open this until you reach your dorm.'  
There was no signature, no initial, just swirling eloquent handwriting. She put the card down and thought on who it could be, but before she could get the gears going in her brain, the Headmaster stood.  
"Another year is upon us as it seems. The moment of truth that you've all been waiting for, the announcement of the champions for the Triwizard Tournament. Argus, if you could please bring in the Goblet." The Headmaster gestured to the caretaker, who dragged the Goblet of Fire into the hall, muttering and grunting the entire way about lousy students. He placed it below the pedestal at which Dumbledore spoke and hobbled away.

The candles dimmed and the Goblet lit of its own violation. Dumbledore came up to it, and the blue flames that licked the air turned bright violet before spitting out a piece of parchment.  
"The first champion is... Cedric Diggory for Hogwarts!" The cheers from the Hufflepuff table were enormous and a rather handsome young man stood up to many claps on the back smiling. He walked to the headmaster, had a private word or two and was then directed off into a side chamber. The Goblet turned violet once more, spitting out what looked like a scrap of red paper.  
"The second champion is... Viktor Krum for Dumstrang!" Many whistles and swoons echoed the hall as he stood, his ever stoic mask in place and walked to the front where Dumbledore congratulated him and sent him off to the same chamber he did Cedric.  
"And the final champion..." Dumbledore said, building the anticipation. The Goblet turned violet once more, spitting out a light blue slip of paper.  
"Fleur Delacour!" He yelled, and yells rang throughout the hall, whilst many Beauxtbatons' students burst into tears. The cheers for her were much louder than anyone else, probably due to the spell that she had on the majority of the male population. Hermione rolled her eyes and clapped slowly and sarcastically. Of course, she would get chosen, she thought bitterly, still sore after the incident in the library.

Dumbledore was about to return to his seat and the chatter started up once more until the Goblet went violet one final time. All noise died as a piece of paper was spat out of the Goblet, Dumbledore snatching it out of the air. His eyes scanned it, widening significantly and then rescanned it, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. You could hear a pin drop in the hall, it was so quiet, and Hermione had a sinking feeling in her gut as the Headmaster's eyes darted around the hall.

"Hermione Granger?"


	5. Damn It

**/Ooooooo another chapter coming up, sorry for the wait, if you look on my profile it's sort of explained why I haven't been uploading as frequently as I'd like.**

**A/N: not mine property, innit./**

Silence echoed around the room for a millisecond before loud gasps and cries of outrage could be heard. The chatter climbed to an extraordinary level as people all turned to stare at her, some with jealousy and hatred in their eyes, some with concern, but almost all with curiosity. She began to sweat nervously. This had to be a bad dream or a prank, she thought, looking around a bit frantically for Fred and George to pop out with Cheshire cat grins on their faces, proudly announcing their latest misgiving. But it never came, and as her nerves went wild, the Headmaster called out once more.

"Hermione Granger!" His voice was loud and there was an undertone of worry and anger.

Hermione stood up, her legs feeling like jelly beneath her as she weaved her way in between the tables to the head table where all the teachers stared back at her. She could feel the eyes on her, and it made her feel skittish as if she would never be able to escape their judging gaze.

She stepped up to the Headmaster, searching his face for any signs of disbelief or a hint of sympathy, but it was void. He held the piece of paper to her and gestured for her to leave the hall to the side chamber where the rest of the champions awaited. Hermione nodded once and slowly made her way over, everything feeling surreal. The door opened with a creak, and the gossip was bouncing off the walls as she slammed the door shut, blocking out all sound like she had put the Mufflato spell up. The champions in the room turned and stared at her in unison.

Fleur stood out particularly in this group; the fire washed gently against her blonde locks, making them glow in the dim light of the chamber, and her figure was highlighted by the gentle flickers of light from the flames - all in all, it made her look elegantly beautiful. Hermione stared for a moment before her thickly accented voice cut through her line of thought.

"'Ermioen? What are 'ou doing 'ere?" She questioned, stepping forward, slightly invading her personal space.

"I- Uh... I..." Hermione tried to form a sentence, but words were lost on her for the first time in her life as the overwhelming sensation of danger and panic swept her up in its chaotic waves, bashing her about carelessly. She could feel the pit in her stomach growing and a lump forming in her throat as she tried to speak, her breathing coming out more as harsh pants now. Tears formed in her eyes and she tried to will them away but they would not go.

Fleur's face fell further, and she stepped forward, embracing Hermione in a warm and supportive hug. "Eet ees okay, 'Ermione. 'Ush now, I got 'ou." Fleur whispered comfortingly as she stroked a hand through Hermione's bushy locks. Hermione didn't pay much mind though, her brain racing to think of all the possibilities and outcomes and any loopholes she could use to get out of her current predicament. She was going numb, her panic dwindling into an emptiness she hadn't felt since she was young.

All of a sudden, the door banged open and rushed sets of footsteps hurried to their current place of standing. Fleur looked up in concern, turning to shield Hermione slightly from the group of angry-looking Heads and ministry officials, with Dumbledore and McGonagall trailing behind, their argument loud enough to be heard from France.

"'Ogwartz! Weeth a zecond competitor! Eet ees not fair, Dumbly-door!" Madame Maxine exclaimed as she practically ran forward.

"I assure you, Madame, that this was completely unintended. Hermione is our best student, model, in fact, she wouldn't dream of ever doing anything like this!" McGonagall argued back, an aggressive tone taking to her voice.

"Hermione! Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Dumbledore asked, spotting her behind Fleur.

"N-no..." Hermione stuttered, clinging quite firmly to the back of Fleur's uniform.

"Dumbly-door! Madame! Thees ees entirely inappropriate! Can you not zee 'ow scared she ees? She ees practically trembling weef fear! Shame on you!" Fleur exclaimed, one of her hands sneaking behind her back to hold Hermione's. Madame Maxine looked shocked at being lectured by her own student, whilst Karkaroff looked thoughtful and McGonagall shameful.

"Weel? Meester Crouch? Weel she be competing?" Fleur asked with hostility lacing her voice, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Yes... Well-um... The contract is binding by the cup and her name. Unfortunately, she must compete." He said after getting over the initial shock at being addressed so rudely and directly. Hermione froze at these words.

The teachers discussed the matter off in a separate group and left the champions to talk amongst themselves. Hermione stuck tightly to Fleur's side, taking comfort in the familiarity of the French witch, even if it was only slightly more than the other people in the room. A hand snaked it's way into her own, linking their fingers and squeezing to show support. Hermione squeezed back slightly, still scared and surprised by the turn of events. She knew the statistics for the tournament, the number of people who had died from it. She knew how dangerous it was - she also had an inkling that she had been entered to get to Harry in some way. Hermione didn't want to be in the tournament but now it had been finalised and she knew she had no choice but to participate. She would need all the help she could get, even if it was cheating, and she hoped that Harry and Ron would believe her when she said she didn't put her name in; they knew her, they knew she hated being the center of attention.

Finally, the teachers wrapped up and the hall emptied. The champions left as did the teachers whilst advising them to get to bed soon due to the fact classes were the next day. Fleur loitered as Hermione gathered herself, and stared longingly at her.

"Ahm... 'Ermione? Are 'ou okay?" She asked hesitantly, this being the first time they'd been alone since the library.

"I... No, I'm not. But I'm sure I will be." Hermione's cheeks were tinged pink with embarrassment at the vulnerability she had displayed to the blonde-haired beauty.

"Are 'ou sure, mon cher?" Fleur questioned, her arm slowly reaching out towards her.

"Yes," Hermione said with a steeled certainty, brushing past Fleur and making her way to Gryffindor tower.

Fleur sighed, looking on sadly as Hermione walked away, the ache in her chest increasing. She walked out of the hall and down to her carriage, thinking about Hermione all the way there.


	6. Musings

**/Whoop whoop I'm sorta back in schedule, now if only I could motivate myself a little more heh. Thank you for everyone who left a review, it's really encouraging especially considering this is my first posted and long-standing story.**  
**A/N: I'm really getting bored of finding ways to say I have no claim./**

Hermione dreaded entering the common room. She knew there would be gossip and all the eyes would be on her - which she hated. She was very tempted to go stake out in the library until it was late and sneak in but she knew she wouldn't get away with that without Harry's map or cloak; the teachers do frequent patrols and she was feeling like being caught by Snape out of bounds past curfew with everything else going on. She could imagine the sneer and comments now about how a know-it-all like her must be up to trouble with Harry, or 'Potter' as he liked to call him.

She takes a steeling breath and speaks the password to a sympathetic fat lady before she swings open to reveal a noisy common room. She steps inside, and the silence becomes very evident as everyone begins to stare at her. You could hear a pin drop in the room, and Hermione felt her cheeks heating up as she walked through the common room.  
"Hermione... How'd you do it? Why didn't you tell us you'd done it? I thought we were best mates!" Ron exclaims, stopping Hermione at the foot of the stairs to the dorms.  
"Ronald, you blithering idiot, if you really think I put my name in then maybe you don't deserve to call me a friend. You know I hate being the centre of attention." Hermione remarked scathingly before stepping up the stairs towards her dorm. She can hear the yells and shouts of protest before she hears two voices speak out against the crowd.  
"Shut up, you idiots. Leave Hermione alone or I'll hex you." Ginny challenged, with Harry adding a very gentle but solid,  
"Leave her alone."

Hermione's heart soared for her friends, and a soft smile took over her face before she came back down to earth. The dorms were dark and drafty, her bed obviously made and ready for her to lie in. She wasn't very tired however, the excitement and adrenaline in her veins still active, making her rather jittery. She got changed and brushed her teeth, and then plopped herself down in the window seat next to her bed which overlooked all the grounds to the forbidden forest.

Hermione sighed as she looked out on the grounds, her eyes searching for the beginning signs of stars showing in the sky as they glazed over with thought. You could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she tried to think how someone trying to get at Harry would've been able to get into the castle and put her name in the goblet without anyone noticing. She thought over possible candidates, out ruling Snape due to his genuine surprise and the trust Dumbledore has in him. She couldn't find any reason to dismiss Karkaroff though, as he seemed less shocked and more curious and thoughtful over it all, add that to his history and he was the perfect candidate. Nobody would question him being near the cup so long as he was with some of his students, and all of his students had entered into the tournament.

She kept thinking and thinking and looking back on the night when she remembered the mysterious package sent to her by that lovely owl that had dropped by before everything had gone down the drain for her. Hermione stood up and went to her bed, where she found the heavy package laying, and reread the note telling her to open it in her dorms. She traced the parcel paper before delicately taking the paper off. She threw it t the side, prepared to vanish it after she looked through her pile of what seemed to be books. Looking more closely at the titles, she gasped in surprise. It was the books Fleur had spilled ink on in the library, except they appeared to be brand new.

Hermione sifted through the pile of books, turning them in her hands and opening the cover, noting the fresh smell coming from the book and how untouched the pages were. She began to tear up in relief and joy, they may not be her copies but they were the books she had before they were destroyed. She wondered who could've done such a thing, but then she remembered that Fleur was there too. Fleur was in the library after Hermione had left, and Fleur was at the table where the ruined books were, and it was Fleur who felt so guilty over the admitted accident and eventual ink spill.

Hermione felt a twinge of guilt for treating her so badly before, she was clearly quite capable if she had been chosen for the tournament, and she wished she hadn't been so quick to judge based on appearance - after all, that's what everyone did to her. She set them aside and flicked off the lamp, falling asleep and hoping for a good night's rest.

Fleur in the carriage below sat staring out her window up to the castle, wondering if Hermione was still angry at her. She had hoped that the package she sent got to Hermione and cheered her up, but then the tournament got in the way.

Thinking about the tournament and Hermione's involvement made Fleur clench her fists in rage. How dare they do that to her? She was only a child, a very capable child, yes, but she didn't ask nor deserve the hardship this tournament would bring her. Fleur had sworn to herself the moment she found out about Hermione's forced involvement she would do everything she could to protect the girl. It was no longer about winning but protecting the brunette that she had grown attached to in such a short period of time.

With these thoughts running through her head, she turned off the light in her room, climbed into bed and fell into a disturbed slumber, full of images of a hurt and scared Hermione.


	7. Sweet Scent

**/Well heck... I'm not even sure where this story is going, I have a few ideas, so let's just see huh? this chapter is extra long but you'll see why at the end ;)...**

**A/N: Please... No more... Not mine.../**

The sun shined bright and early on the dewy, frozen grounds of Hogwarts. The pink sky, embellished with fluffy white streaks of clouds framed the golden rays perfectly as they cascaded down onto the ancient castle. It was times like this that Hermione was glad she woke early to wander the grounds.

The stroll was pleasant enough so long as she wrapped up warm enough, which was evident from her heavy winter coat, Gryffindor hat, scarf and gloves keeping her various body parts from frostbite. A blue jumper peaked out from underneath her coat which kept her snug and warm. She liked strolling around the black lake in the morning and taking in the fresh air, breathing deeply always helped her concentrate and organise her brain for the oncoming day, and she realised just how long it had been since she'd gone on one of her morning strolls - what with the commotion of the other schools and the tournament she hadn't had the chance as of late to truly appreciate the beauty that Hogwarts held; the animals in the Forbidden Forest were just waking or dozing, the foreign sounds f magical creatures filled the air and the grounds were devoid of humans altogether.

Hermione was so wrapped up in her line of thought, she didn't hear a pack of giggling french girls coming out of their carriage and heading towards the forest, nor did she hear the crunch of the grass underfoot as one blonde witch, in particular, spotted her and made her way over, her shivering very evident from the chattering noise her teeth made. Fleur had spotted Hermione as her and her classmates were leaving to train in the forest, after all, most of them were at least a quarter Veela and therefore wanted to keep up appearances.  
"Bonjour, 'Ermione," Fleur gritted out, rubbing her arms from the col air.  
"Fleur!" Hermione said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"  
"My classmatez and I often go into the forest for zome training. The 'Eadmaster gave uz special permizzion." Fleur explained, stepping into turn with Hermione. "What ees eet 'ou are doing?" Her voice had a slight tilt of amusement to it, despite how cold she was, and she inquired softly.  
"Hmm... Well, I like to walk the grounds in the morning - it's very peaceful. I realised I hadn't done it as of late and decided it would be a good idea to try it out, especially during such a stressful time. I find that the Giant Squid is much better company than the people that occupy my house as of right now." Hermione explained, all too aware of how close Fleur was.

Hermione could tell how cold the French witch was, and she thought for a brief moment before sighing heavily and unwrapping her scarf and taking off her gloves.  
"Here, my sweater is keeping me warm." She said, handing them over to Fleur who eyed them a little suspiciously.  
"Are 'ou sure, 'Ermione? Eet ees rather cold..." Fleur trailed off, staring a little owlishly at Hermione.  
"Exactly, and you're dressed in a barely existent silk robe. Tsk. Honestly, you think you would've packed to accommodate the weather, would you not?" Hermione tutted as she turned to wrap the scarf around Fleur's neck and put the gloves on her hands.  
"Merci, 'Ermione." Was the response she got before the blonde nuzzled into the warmth the scarf offered and they fell into silence.

That's how the rest of the walk went, aside from the slight sound of their breathing, the area around them was serenely peaceful, and they enjoyed the walk and, begrudgingly admit, each other's company.

As the sun began to climb the sky, leaving streaks of pink orange and blue behind, the wind got nippier and more persistent, which is where the girls decided to part. Hermione was going up to Gryffindor Tower and then to the Great Hall straight away whilst Fleur was staying behind to meet with her flock so they could all go to breakfast.

"Merci 'Ermione, for the clozes and the lovely walk," Fleur said, beginning to untangle herself from the ever comforting scarf and pull her fingers out of the gloves.  
"It was... Nice. There's no need to give them back, by the way. It's cold, you clearly have packed for the weather and I have many other pairs." Hermione said casually before waving to the now glowing French witch in parting.

She made her way through the common room as a voice interrupted her thinking.  
"Just where have you been Hermione?" Ron asked rather aggressively, his arms crossed as he tapped his foot, trying to appear intimidating and disapproving. He was doing a rather poor job, Hermione thought dryly to herself, as she looked at the redness of his ears indicating annoyance and embarrassment.  
"None of your business, Ronald." She stated simply before walking upstairs.

She fished through her trunk, finding her spare pair of gloves and her other scarf, as well as a spare hat, this time in a dark blue, to give to Fleur. With her necessary items in hand, she made her way down to the Great Hall.

Nobody else had seemed to share this sentiment though, as it was early Saturday morning, Hermione completely having forgotten that she didn't have class today, and so the halls were barren of life excluding the odd moving picture. She quite enjoyed how serene walking the old hallways were and felt a tinge of disbelief that she was actually there, enriched in a new culture with new ideas and a vast sea of knowledge on offer. Never had she in her dreams ever thought there'd be a possibility of studying somewhere so new and fresh and bursting with information.

It was this line of thought that carried her all the way to the entry hall, where she could hear the giggling of a group of french girls. She smiled slightly, before realising what she was doing and intentionally putting on a mask of indifference as she rounded the corner to them. They were chatting away in the entry hall, clearly having just come in from the cold.

Hermione spotted Fleur and made her way over, noting quite happily that there were no other students but them there.  
"Here." She said, holding out the blue beanie when she got to her, nodding towards it. "I thought you might appreciate something that isn't splattered with red and gold, considering blue seems to be your signature colour."  
Fleur took the beanie and held the soft fabric in her hands, running over it gently.  
"Ahhh, merci 'Ermione, but 'ou really didn't need to. Will you not mees it?" She asked, still holding it in the place she had received, unsure whether she should accept it.  
"I wanted to. You've clearly had a lapse in judgment and it'd be a shame if you were to suffer from the brutal Scottish weather because of it. I won't miss it, I've got others." Hermione teased lightly, smiling slightly at Fleur. Fleur smiled back brightly, taking the beanie and putting it on. Even with slightly rustled hair, she still looked like the picture of perfection, and, Hermione noted, the beanie really seemed to suit her.  
"I better get going. See you around, Fleur." Hermione waved and stepped away, but before she could get much further she felt slender arms wrap around her waist.  
"Zank 'ou, 'Ermione," Fleur whispered softly, holding her for a second before letting her go and turning to talk to her friends in rapid French. Hermione nodded more to herself than anyone else and turned around, walking into the Great Hall.

It took a little while, but eventually, Ron and Harry made their way down to breakfast with Neville and Ginny trailing behind. Harry and Ron seemed to be talking at first glance, but Hermione noted that it seemed more like Harry was getting his ear talked off by a very insistent Ron. Ginny seemed annoyed and kept chiming in every couple of sentences, assumably with something sarcastic or snappish, and Neville looked rather nervous, but that was fairly normal for him.

"I'm telling you mate, it's gotta be someone in the older years!" Ron exclaimed as he sat down.  
"Oh, what are you two arguing about now?" Hermione asked, marking her place in her book and putting it in her bag.  
"Haven't you heard, Hermione? All anyone wants to talk about is Fleur Delacour and the fact that she's wearing a Gryffindor's scarf and gloves. Ron is oh so convinced one of the older students has managed to 'bag her', as he so eloquently put it." Ginny stated rather angrily as she filled her plate, and Hermione looked back to Fleur, who was still wearing her loaned winter clothes.  
"Oh, really, Ronald?" Hermione asked in slight amusement, sipping on some pumpkin juice as Ron furrowed his brow in deep concentration.  
"We... We just need to look for someone without a scarf and gloves! Then we'll know who's managed to snag her." He said triumphantly, looking around with urgency.  
"Ronald. Not everyone will be wearing their winter clothes; it is Saturday meaning no clothes, it isn't a Hogsmeade weekend and maybe they don't plan on going out. Not only that, how many scarfs do you have?" Hermione inquired.  
"Uh, two?" He replied dumbly.  
"And how many pairs of gloves?"  
"two..."  
"So you see my point Ronald, it was probably someone's spare pair that they lent her. You won't find out who gave them to her unless she or they come out and say it. Which they won't. Because it's nobody's business but their own." Hermione said rather smugly, taking quite a bit of pleasure in the fact that she knew who's it was and that it was hers. If the rumours were to be believed, clearly because Fleur was wearing her clothes it meant that she had stolen the blonde's heart. This caused her to smirk into her drink.

Hermione spent the rest of the morning curled up by the fire reading a book and sipping on the hot chocolate that Dobby had given her when he had popped in to clean the tower.

By afternoon, she had got up for a stretch and ended up being ambushed and kidnapped to the outdoors, where snow had been falling and covered the ground up to about 4 inches. She shivered slightly before feeling the force of a small rock smack her in the back and explode all over her - a snowball. She whirled around to find Ginny smirking as she picked up some more snow to form a snowball.  
"Oh that's it Ginerva, you're on!" She yelled, scooping up some snow and throwing it at her, attempting to dodge the snowball that came swooping towards. For what felt like hours they played in the snow, intense snowball fights with betrayal and backstabbing and secret teaming and more than a fair bit of magic allowed for the entire group to wind down.

Just as Hermione was about to throw another snowball, she could hear the distinct french voice that called out to her.  
"'Ermione! 'Ermione!" A young girl called, running up to her. Fred and George stopped their relentless slaughter of Ron and Harry, and Ginny paused in her ammunition making to stare at Hermione and the strange young blonde girl.  
"Erm, hello? Who're you?" Hermione asked slightly hesitantly.  
"I'm Fleur's sizter! Gabrielle! Me and zome friends would like to know eef eet ees possible that we join your... ahm, snow bataille?" She asked exuberantly, stumbling over her words a bit. It was then that Hermione noticed some of the girls that usually hang around with Fleur.  
"I don't see why not. Hey, guys! Gabrielle and her friends are joining us!" She yelled, which seemed to rile them up even more. Ginny grinned and threw a snowball at Gabrielle, smacking her on the arm.  
"Ohoh! Eet ees on!" Gabrielle screeched, grabbing snow and throwing it back. The other joined ensuite, leading to a massive war of snow.

At some point, Hermione ended up teamed with Gabrielle and another french girl called Lorena. They suppressed their giggles as they heard the other's scream of outrage at falling into their trap. They counted down together, mouthing the numbers before standing up, screaming and throwing as many snowballs as they could everywhere they could, Hermione cheating slightly discreetly using her wand to send little snow storms towards the other hiding teams, luring them out so they could hit them.

Eventually, everyone else surrendered, and Gabrielle, Hermione, and Lorena cheered, high-fiving and hugging each other whilst laughing heartily. The others trudged up to the castle sopping wet whilst Hermione and her newfound friends celebrated their victory a little more. The other French girls came over and spoke quickly in hushed french to Gabrielle, who nodded in thought before smiling with a glint of evil in her eye. Hermione gulped slightly, not liking what would be in store for her with that look on her face.  
"'Ermione... we are cold, but we would like to continue to talk and 'ang out weef 'ou. Would 'ou like to come back to the carriage weef us?" Gabrielle asked, batting her eyelids repeatedly and putting on puppy dog eyes.  
"Uhhh... Well, are you sure it would be okay?" Hermione asked hesitantly, suddenly noticing how cold it was and how wet she was. Gabrielle and nodded, grabbing her wrist and dragging her down the grounds, babbling away in a hybrid of French and English.

The carriage was very grand and very warm, with the chandlier, dangling elegantly from the ceiling, candlelight cascading down the periwinkle blue walls and framing the room nicely.

Gabrielle continued to drag Hermione down a corridor with doors branching off every so often, assumably to private rooms. Just as they were coming to the end of the corridor, a door opened.  
"Gabrielle, ees that 'ou?" Asked a familiar voice.  
"Oui! Look w'oo I brought!" She exclaimed, pushing Hermione in front of a startled Fleur.  
"'Ermione, what are 'ou doing 'ere?" Fleur asked, confused.  
"I was-" Hermione began before Gabrielle cut her off.  
"Ohoh! Look at ze time, I must leave. Fleur, could you pleaze warm 'Ermione up for me? She is ever so cold and wet after our snowball fight!" Gabrielle said before shooting off in the opposite direction, the other girls following behind her, giggling.  
"Gabrielle! Merde!" Fleur yelled, looking like she was going to chase after her, before sighing.  
"Dieu... 'Ermione, 'ou are practically blue, come in come in." Fleur ushered her into her room, closing the door behind her. Hermione looked around curiously, noting the desk with the papers and books scattered about, and her slightly messy bed.

Fleur appeared to be searching for something in one of her drawers. She let out a little noise of success before pulling out a rather large blue hoodie, a white t-shirt, and some grey sweatpants.  
"'Ere. Take theze and get in ze shower. Eet ees through that door." She said, handing Hermione the clothes, along with a towel. "There are wash products in there. 'Ou're welcome to be as long as 'ou want." She said gently, rubbing her arm gently as Hermione shivered. She nodded and headed into the shower, eternally grateful for the offer. She washed herself off and relaxed slightly under the almost too hot water, lathering herself up in shampoo and body lotion. She rinsed off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her. She then noticed the bobble in her and groaned.  
"Uhm, Fleur? Any chance you're any good at brushing knots out of hair? It appears in my eagerness to get warm I forgot to take the bobble out of my hair," Hermione called out, and she heard a light knock on the door. Opening, Fleur stepped in and smiled slightly at Hermione. She had a brush in hand, and grasped her slightly by the shoulders, turning her around. She parted the hair and slowly brushed through it, working out all the knots and Hermione sighed slightly.  
"Come," Fleur said, letting her hand slide down Hermione's arm to her hand and dragging her to her bed. She pushed her down before sitting behind her and continuing what she was doing. Hermione leaned into her touch slightly, enjoying how relaxing it was. She felt Fleur run her hands through her hair and along her neck and shoulders gently.

Hermione inhaled sharply, and Fleur paused in what she was doing, resting her warm hands on the base of her neck before she kneaded there gently. A gentle gasp escaped Hermione and Fleur continued her massage all over her neck and shoulders, pressing into her back and pushing just the right pressure points. Hermione groaned before flushing red at the fact that she had made such a noise in front of Fleur. She chuckled before gently caressing her shoulders. "Mon amour, 'ou should go get dressed." Her tone was gentle and affectionate, and she dropped a kiss on her neck in a friendly gesture. Hermione blushed bright red and stood up, speechless, walking into the bathroom and getting dressed in the clothes Fleur had given her - they were extremely soft and her scent surrounded her. It wasn't unpleasant and Hermione found herself wondering what perfume Fleur used. The hoodie was clearly a size or two too big, dangling off her arms, leaving her hands invisible to the open world, the bottom reaching mid thigh. The sweat pants were soft and warm and covered half of her feet, coming up to just above her hip. She felt extremely cozy and took a minute to snuggle into the fabric of the hoodie, inhaling deeply.

Walking back out she saw Fleur sitting in what appeared to be pajamas. Hermione took this moment to appreciate Fleur; her long legs were pale, her frame petite but not excessively so. Her face was unblemished and flawless, her blue eyes glazed over in concentration as she bit her lip slightly. Her fingers were delicate and seemingly so fragile.  
"Fleur?" She asked, stepping forward. This seemed to startle her, as she jumped slightly and stopped what she was doing. She turned and stared at Hermione for a moment, her eyes roaming over her, a slight smile gracing her lips.  
"'Ermione, it is late, non? 'Ou stay 'ere, I weel not 'ave 'ou walking back to castle so late!" She declared, patting the bed next to her. Hermione sat down and Fleur whirled her around, continuing her earlier ministrations. Her hands were dainty but strong, hitting every spot perfectly and letting all the tension out of Hermione's muscles.  
"'Ou... are very tense, mon amour." She whispered gently into Hermione's ear, making her shiver slightly. Her breath was warm and inviting and it tickled her ear and further down as she leaned back a slight bit.

Hermione turned around, her mouth open with the intention of saying something, but it died on her tongue. The candlelight cast against Fleur's face made her glow angelically, her eyes dancing with mirth and joy, a soft and slight smile framing her face. Hermione felt herself leaning in subconsciously, and her fingertips came up to brush against Fleur's cheek, which radiated heat. Their faces were so close together that they could feel each other's breaths on their lips, and Hermione'sover Fleur's cheek fingers danced along her cheek with grace. Blue orbs with a depth unmatched stared back at honey brown ones, and Hermione's eyelashes fluttered shut as she slowly leaned in to let her lips ghost against Fleur's. They tingled and electricty shot through her, so she did it again, this time pressing softly up against her, and she felt slender arms slither around her waist, pulling her against Fleur. Suddenly, she was hoisted onto Fleur's lap, and she leaned down and kissed a little more needily, Fleur's tongue swiping against her bottom lip asking for entrance; Hermione opens her mouth in a slight moan and Fleur lets her tongue explore. Their breathing becoming laboured.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Fleur pulled back, her lips slightly swollen with the biggest Cheshire-cat grin on her face. Hermione's eyelids were getting heavy and she leaned her head on Fleur's shoulder, breathing levelling out.  
"Tired?" Came the quiet inquiry, and all Hermione could do was nod. Strong arms lifted her up and pressed her against Fleur as she leaned back, and she felt silk covers come up to wrap around them, enveloping them in warmth and a strong vanilla scent mixed with expensive french perfume. Yawning, Hermione snuggled into Fleur, her arms wrapped around her like a teddy bear, and Fleur planted a tender kiss on her forehead, pulling her in impossibly tighter as she drifted off into a dreamless, well-rested sleep.


	8. Angry Musings

**/**shizzleeee hecken** heck we **gettin** spicy up in here! **Ooorrrr** are we?**  
**A/N: it's. not. mine!/**

The sun broke through the gaps in the blinds, casting little rays of glittering light along the floor, all the way up to the bed and in Hermione's face. Hermione twitched lightly before her eyes slowly fluttered awake to come to the realisation that she was not in her own room. She began to panic, feeling an arm wrapped protectively around her waist, pulling her against the person behind her. Her eyes widened comically before the memories of last night came flooding back to her but, for some reason, that didn't slow her speeding heart. Fleur and her... had kissed? She blushed at the thought and the fact that Fleur had kissed back and seemingly enjoyed it. It was all so confusing for Hermione, she wasn't sure if she liked Fleur or if she was just lonely because of the tournament isolating her further from her peers. But she knew that she enjoyed the kiss; that whenever Fleur smiled she got butterflies in her stomach that would fly up to her heart; that she blushed whenever Fleur complimented her. Fleur was unmistakenly beautiful and practically perfect in every department, she was an intelligent being with whom she could share a conversation without becoming irritated at the lack of interesting topics within 5 minutes and their playful teasing was something she took comfort in. Then, Hermione thought over her time with Fleur - all the comfort she was freely given, the amount of attention she received and the way she took pleasure in being Fleur's focal point - she liked Fleur. But, the question was, does Fleur like her? She kissed her back sure, but that might've been a spur of the moment thing. Fleur had never shown interest in girls, had she? In fact, they'd never talked about dating at all really, as neither of them appeared to have much experience in that department. Maybe Fleur thought this was a no strings attached type situation, where they could have some fun before she left for France, leaving a broken-hearted Hermione in her wake.

Her train of thoughts were interrupted by a sudden tug on her hips and a trail of soft kisses up her neck and along her jawline.  
"Good morning, mon cher." Fleur whispered, before grabbing Hermione's chin and kissing her gently on the lips.  
"Oh. Morning." Hermione replied, a little surprised.  
"'Ow're 'ou feeling, mon amour?" She asked, her fingers playing with the waistband of the sweatpants, grazing the skin exposed on her hip because of the hoodie having ridden up in her sleep.  
"Listen Fleur... I'm not sure what you think this is but-" Hermione began, only to be cut off by Fleur.  
"This can't happen ees what I assume 'ou're gonna say" A sad sigh left her lips after that, and she seemed to draw back a little. Hermione turned over to look at her, but she was staring at the ceiling.  
"I was gonna say... I'm not sure if or why you like me, but I do actually like you... And I want to try, well- uhm- I want to..." She trailed off, blushing intensely as she tried to think of a way to articulate her sentence. She could see a smile forming on Fleur's face, and, despite her embarrassment, she too began to smile.  
"Ees the 'Ermione Granger speechless? Because of moi?" Fleur teased, turning to make eye contact with Hermione, a cheeky grin stretching her cheeks.  
"Oh shut up Delacour!" Hermione playfully huffed and turned over, and Fleur crawled over to her.  
"Oh no! Fair maiden! Pleaze do not be mad. 'Ere, I 'ave an idea for something that weel cheer 'ou up." Her tone goes smug and then shes planting an attack of kisses all over Hermione's face, with Hermione giggling hysterically due to the mission Fleur's fingers have taken, reaching to tickle her anywhere she can.  
"Fle-Fleur! Stop!" Hermione laughed, trying desperately to push away the relentless fingers.  
"What ees the magic word, 'Emrione?" She says, pausing. There's silence for a moment, and then Hermione throws caution to the wind.  
"Be my girlfriend." She says with confidence, smiling up at a stunned Fleur. There's no response for a minute and Hermione is extremely convinced that she's messed it all up.  
"Merde... 'Ow very bold... Hmmm, let me think." Fleur responded, tapping her chin in faux thoughtfulness, before leaning down to place a kiss on her lips.  
"Does that answer the question?" She asked, smirking victoriously at Hermione. Hermione nods and hides her blushing face, and the rest of the morning is spent in such a fashion of cuddling, kissing and talking.

At least, that's what Gabrielle walks in on.  
"Gah! 'Ou two need to get a room!" She says, shielding her eyes.  
"We do. 'Ou, ma chère soeur, have barged in it." Fleur responds, rolling her eyes. Gabrielle pulls a face of innocence, batting her eyelashes like she tends to do to get her own way. "Madame Maxine was wondering what 'ou were up to... 'Ou wouldn't want 'er walking in on zis, non?" She smirked viciously and dodged the book that Fleur threw at her. "Hurry and get ready to leave!" She called back before the rapid fall of light footsteps signaled her exit from the corridor. Fleur sighed before turning to Hermione.  
"I am zorry, mon amour, eet appears as eef we 'ave 'ad all ze private time we will be allowed today." Her voice was forlorn and it made Hermione's heart flutter at the idea that Fleur was sad because she couldn't spend more time together alone.  
"But we'll still see each other, won't we? It's a weekend it's not like I have anything to do." Hermione inquired, laying her head on Fleur's chest.  
"Forgive me, mon cherie, but I would've assumed 'ou would want zis to be a secret affair, non?" Fleur's hands glided through her soft locks, tugging gently to release the slight knots that had formed there.  
"Secret? No, private? Yes. It's no one else's business what we do in our private time but I'm not averse to it being a public relationship. I like you, nothing is going to change, and besides, I don't really have many friends who can disapprove of this relationship, and I get along well enough with your friends and Gabrielle." Her response was soft and she pulled the hoodie closer to her as the nip from the rest of the carriage started to present itself.  
"Oh. Well, zat is good news for me then. We should still go down for lunch though, mon amour." Fleur responded, the happiness evident in her voice.

They got ready together, Fleur lending Hermione a pair of white sweatpants, a blue t-shirt, and a grey oversized hoodie. Hermione found she rather liked wearing Fleur's clothes - they were always warm and cozy, soft and they smelt just like Fleur. They held hands on the way up to the castle and spoke in soft undertones following the rest of the French group. They noticed people were staring but couldn't find it in themselves to care as they were enjoying each other's company.

They made it to the Great Hall and noticed that lunch seemed to be just commencing due to the abundance of people going in and the number of people in the hall. Hermione's friends were already there and chatting away, and Hermione looked between the French and her friends before making a split minute decision and going along with Fleur's insistent tugging to the Ravenclaw table. She was sat in between Fleur and Gabrielle, and Fleur pecked her on the cheek before turning to her friends to speak in fluent French. Hermione saw Lisa sitting not too far down the table, a girl in her year and waved hello to her. She looked quite surprised but waved back and they exchanged pleasantries.

The food appeared on the plates and most talking dimmed as people loaded food onto their own plates, the occasional word spoken. Gabrielle was chatting Hermione's ear off about a pranking duo she had heard of and Hermione interrupted.  
"You mean Fred and George? I know them. I can introduce you to them if you'd like?" With the look she was given by Gabrielle and Fleur, she determined that she might've made a very big mistake and so dug into her food before she could say anything to mess it up further.

After breakfast, Hermione headed back to Gryffindor and Fleur waited outside the common room. She was grabbing two heavy cloaks, one for her and one for Fleur as it appeared they didn't have anything more than a sheer cloak with them. She shook her head at the absurd idea that they'd come to Scotland, of all places, without warm clothes. As she was leaving though, she was cornered by Ron.  
"Hermione! You're the Gryffindor that gave Fleur those winter clothes? Why didn't you say anything! You could've introduced us, Hogsmeade is coming up and I can ask her on a date. Oh, are you going to her now? I'll come with!" He blurted out, his ears burning. She sighed heavily and barged past. Turning, she spoke in a very low and angry tone.  
"Ronald. Firstly, it is none of your business who I spend my time with considering it's not with you. Secondly, I will not be introducing you to my girlfriend so you can ask her on a date to Hogsmeade, which she is already going to with me. If you want to talk to me again, I suggest you grow up a bit and find a suitable way to apologise for your actions and words." With that, she whipped out of the common room, leaving a population of shocked lions and an incredulous Ron.

She grabbed Fleur's hand, tugging her ahead, her vision hazy and mind a tornado of rage.  
"'Ermione! Merde! What ees wrong?" Fleur asked, her tone laced with shock and concern. This caused Hermione to stop in her tracks, turning to Fleur with tears in her eyes.  
"It's Ron! He's just such a- a-! Ugh, I'm sorry Fleur, I basically just announced our relationship to the entirety of the Gryffindor house! And I told them we were going on a date to Hogsmeade next weekend." She said, grinding her teeth.  
"Hmm, a date? Oui, that is quite agreeable. I will meet you at, say, 10? Then you can show me around, non?" She responded, smiling cheekily.  
"I uh- yeah, okay. That sounds nice. Oh! This is for you." Hermione said, handing her the heavy cloak. Fleur smiled at her, then down at the cloak, before slipping it on. Her smile widened and she stuck her hand out, which Hermione grabbed gladly as they walked off to spend the rest of the day together.


	9. Are You Serious?

/Okay so now all that cutsie stuff is out the way, time to get down to it! Also, the conversations in italics will be in french because I'm too lazy to translate :P  
A/N: seriously I'm not JKR./

October slowly bled into November, and the first task was fast approaching. Hermione was getting increasingly nervous, despite her study sessions with Fleur and Harry. Their friendship was tentative at first, based on the shared love and appreciation for Hermione and their want for her to survive the tournament. They all knew that it was cheating - two champions were working together with help from a third party member outside of the tournament, but Hermione needed all the help she could get and Fleur wasn't so arrogant as to think she could pass up a few extra study lessons with fresh brains.

It was one particular afternoon of harsh studying when an owl was sent her way, telling her that Madame Maxine required her down at the carriage. She kissed Hermione goodbye and waved to Harry and Ron, who were awkwardly looking anywhere but her.

When she got down to the carriage, Maxine welcomed her with a hug and an offer of tea, which she accepted. Sipping the warm beverage, she sighed contently.  
_"Yes well, let's get down to it _shall_ we?"_ Madame Maxine said, placing down her drink, and Fleur copied her action.

_"What is it you need, Madame?" _Fleur enquired, keeping her proper and formal demeanor up.

_"I know what the First Task is. A kind man, the groundskeeper, Hagrid, told me in confidence that they have dragons on the grounds for the first task. I am hoping you will take the appropriate measures to train and prepare to fight or even slaughter a_ _dragon." _Maxine said, her hands coming together and clasping on the desk, staring intently at Fleur.

_"Ah, I see. Well, that is a problem. Dragons, you say?" _Fleur responded as she got to work recalling all the information she had on dragons and how to defeat them, which was very little. She hid her surprise and sipped her drink once more.

_"Look, Fleur." _Maxine started and then sighed. _"I implore you not to tell that Hermione Granger you've taken a shine to. Telling the enemy will only lead to a loss of advantage and possibly a lesser place in the tournament." _She poured some more tea, and waited for the outburst she knew was to come.

_"Forgive me Madame, but I simply cannot do that. She is only 14, she doesn't have any hope of surviving this tournament. In fact, that is a lie. She does, but I want to secure that chance. I will not let someone with 3 years less schooling and experience than me suffer whilst I stand idly by, not to mention who she is to me." Fleur finished as she left, not even looking back._

She made her way back up to the castle silently fuming at the demand that her Headmistress had given her. Hermione had already proved she didn't want to do it, so why did it matter if she knew? It was completely unfair on her and Fleur would not allow it. That was simply unforgivable, and with a resolve stronger than ever, she made a silent promise to protect Hermione no matter what.

Hermione sat fiddling with the hem of her shirt as she zoned out, aware of Fleur's absence and the awkward wake that was left behind. Harry was obviously acting as a buffer between her and Ron, who was blatantly and angrily staring at her. He kept opening his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then it would snap shut as his brow furrowed further and he turned a shade redder.

They sat like this for a while, before Harry and Ron and decided to go somewhere, a half muttered excuse from Harry as he dragged the red head away before he said or did something he'd regret. Hermione continued to stress over the First Task as someone took the seat across from her. She didn't bother looking up, firguring it would be Harry, back after Ron had stormed off or something of the like. She finally did after a rather deep cough interrupted her musings, and she looked up to see Viktor Krum sitting across from her.

"Hello, I- ahm, vell, I vas vondering how your studying for the Task was going?" He asked, his words heavily accented and slightly hesitant. Hermione realised this was Viktor holding out an olive branch of tentative friendship and she smiled slightly at him.  
"It's going okay. How about yours?" She asked, thumbling through some pages absent-mindidly.

"Vell, it is going. That is all I can say. If you are in need of help, I'm alvays open for tutoring." He said kindly, his eyes warming slightly.

"Oh! That's okay, I have a study group. But you could join us sometime? Although I'd have to warn you, Ron is quite a fan and I'm not sure how he'd react." Hermione said sincerely.

"Oh, vell, that sounds nice. Thank you, Herm-own-ninny." He said, getting up and walking away.

Hermione giggled a little at the pronunciation of her name before getting back to work, hearing the door to the library open and close. Someone came up behind her and covered her eyes, and she giggled again. She felt warm breath on her neck as a tilted french accent whispered into her ear.

"Ello, mon amour. Guess who?" She laughed slightly before sitting down. "Soooo, guess what? Eet turns out, dragons are ze first competition. We have to defeat or maybe even slaughter zem." Fleur stated as she grabbed Hermione's hand and laced their fingers, staring at their interlocked hands.

Hermione thought for a little before pulling out a book on magical creatures and reading. Fleur knew she wouldn't find much so she sat silently, feeling the heat of her hand against her's.

"But... It says here that it takes multitudes of trained hitwizards to take them down..." She hesitated, feeling fear well up in her.

"Well, we weel think about zat later hmmm. Now, come here, ma belle." Fleur said, opening her arms. Hermione climbed into her lap and burrowed into her neck, cuddling into her. For now, this would do. They would figure the rest out as it came.


	10. Here We Go

**/Whoop whoop! What an accomplishment, 10 chapters, many more to come hopefully. Let's see how the story continues aye, and also as a side note, I've got some more stuff in the works that I'm just ironing out the details for. As soon as that's done, I'll start writing but won't publish it until this one is done, so I'll be a little ahead on the uploads which will hopefully give me enough time to fit college into my schedule **

**A/N: Do I even have to say it?/**

The morning of the first task dawned bright and bitter for all. The Hall was alight with buzz and energy as Hermione walked in, feeling the pit in her stomach expand. Fleur gave her hand a light squeeze before dropping it to go find her friends so they could wish her luck, and Hermione made her way over to the Gryffindor table on wobbly legs. She sat down and looked around at all the people eating and chattering away happily to their friends.

She pushed her food around her plate as her friends stared at her in worry. She didn't want to do the task, didn't want to face a dragon despite all the preparation she and Fleur had done.

The thought of Fleur brought a warm but small smile to her face as she picked at some food, fully aware that she'd need their strength. Fleur had been her anchor and had been a tremendous help in training in stamina and strategy against whatever dragon she got. Fleur had told her some very private things about the Veela race and their special mental connection with dragons, and Fleur planned to communicate via the connection and hope that it either subdued or distracted the dragon so Hermione could get her prized possession and get out. It was a pretty good plan and she had been testing the bonds with the dragons by sneaking into the Forbidden Forest where they had figured they'd keep the dragons to talk to them. She had loosely bonded with them all, which meant that no matter what one they got the plan was okay. Fleur had also informed the dragons that very night that they would be moved to an arena where they would be protecting something that wasn't theirs as well as some of their eggs. She told them that if it was her or another girl that they should let them take the egg.

That made Hermione giggle a little bit, of course, Fleur would be able to command dragons to let her and Fleur near their nest to retrieve a fake object. Only Fleur, honestly.

Suddenly, the food disappeared and Hermione was feeling a little queasy again. She paled dramatically as everyone stood and the benches scraping against the floor echoed around her head. She felt two hands land on her shoulders and a familiar scent filled her senses.  
"Mon amour, we need to go to ze zide chamber. Dumbledore asked us too." She said, gently steering Hermione from the stares and questions and down the steps to the anti-chamber.

"Hermione!" She heard a familiar voice call, and she found herself enveloped in a crushing, suffocating hug.  
"Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked, barely being able to draw a breath in.  
"Hello dear. Dumbledore asked us to come to see you off for the first task because your parents can't come because they're muggles." Mrs. Weasley squeezed her arm as hugs were passed around. Finally, Hermione was introduced to the Delacours, which consisted of David, Fleur's father, Appoline, Fleur's mother and of course Gabrielle, who greeted her enthusiastically. They were all so nice and the Weasley's got along with them well enough so they toured Hogwarts together. Hermione saw the way Bill looked at Fleur so she rather obviously put her arm around Fleur's waist and pulled her close. Fleur smirked leaned down to whisper  
"I didn't know you were the jealous type, ma cher."  
"Only when they have a chance, darling." Hermione replied shortly, glaring at Bill.  
"Hah! As if 'e would have any chance with moi. I only 'ave eyes for 'ou, mon amour." Fleur laughed and they lapsed into silence, Hermione pulling away but grabbing her hand and holding it to prove a point.

They explored the grounds for a while, carefully exploring topics and steering away from anything to do with the tournament. However, the serene time they had together didn't last.

Dumbledore came to collect the family and told the two champions to prepare themselves for the first task. All too soon, it was time to head down to the tent to their ever looming doom.

When they got there, Viktor was sitting looking rather pale and Cedric was pacing. They hid in one of the corners of the tent and discussed their strategy a little more before being called to the centre by Dumbledore.

They were to take something out of a bag, and that would determine their place in the tournament. They gathered around in a circle, Cedric first, then Viktor, the Fleur and finally her. They all pulled out different models of dragons who in turn blew fire and aggressively stomped about. Hermione ends ed up with the Horntail, the most infamous of the group for its aggression. The cannon sounded, meaning it was time for Cedric to enter the arena.

For a while there was explosive noise coming from outside the tent, all muffled but differentiation between the screams and cheers were enough to tell the other contestants how it was going. Hermione held on nervously to Fleur, reciting all the knowledge she had on the subject at hand under her breath as the cannon sounded, indicating Viktor's turn. She wished him luck and he nodded and smiled before exiting the tent.

Viktor's turn followed much like Cedric, the cheers and the screams the only prevailing noise in the tent, and eventually, it was Fleur's turn to go.  
"'Ermione, remember what we discussed, and remember we weel make it through zis. I promise." Fleur's voice was soft and broke through Hermione's thoughts as she gently placed a kiss on her forehead before stepping out of the tent. Hermione couldn't concentrate on anything, focusing on the cheers and screams and hoping that they were because Fleur was winning.

After an eternity, there was a roar from the crowd and then the cannon sounded and it was her turn to go.


	11. Well Done

**/Well, this week has been funky. I'm going to pride on the 31st! I've also got GCSE results day in like 3 days when I start writing this and then **loadssss** of college interviews so of course, my writing will be a little behind, but only a little **hopefully**! - Ahah, so I'm a little late for the upload, results and college got in the way, I got into college though!**  
**A/N: I think I'll stop this huh/**

The screams and cheers, and in some cases, boos, were overwhelming when Hermione stepped out. She looked around the arena and saw various scorch marks and broken rocks in the surrounding area, as well as a massive nest with eggs in. Circling the nest was a huge Hungarian Horntail, stomping aggressively about and huffing sparks of fire, the fire hitting the protection spell the teachers and ministry had put up to ensure the stadium didn't catch alight.

Hermione steadied her breathing a little and hid behind some rocks so that the dragon didn't see her until she could put her plan into action. She summoned her dragon hide armour that had been given as a gift from Fleur to her and waited for it to get there. When it did, she donned it and made sure she was as protected as possible. Then, she cast a protection charm over herself. Finally, the beginning of her plan was coming into action.

She stepped out and flung a few weak spells about to gain the attention of the dragon, and transfigured some rocks into various creatures, magical and non-magical alike to grab it's attention away from her advancing.

After she'd managed to make it halfway there, she set off some sparks in the air and notified Fleur to start talking to the dragon. She hoped this would give her enough time to grab the egg and escape whilst Fleur reassured the dragon that she wasn't after her eggs.

The plan set into motion and Hermione sprinted forward to the next set of rocks, narrowly avoiding a spray of fire that licked at the ground, scorching all in its way. Breathing deeply, Hermione counted to 5 and then ran to the next set of rocks, a notable absence of flames as she felt her muscles scream in protest. She wasn't very far away at all by now, only 20 or so meters when the dragon began to encircle her nest and lay down. The action threw Hermione off, the dragon was no longer being hostile towards her. She didn't dare step into the open straight away, so she peeked around some rocks and made her way slowly down a dip - almost like an alley cut into the stone until she was right next to the dragon. In the distance, she could hear faint gasps and screams but she took no mind, now being very careful with how and where she stepped, not wanting to upset the already irritable Horntail.

Slowly, she approached the Horntail's nest, keeping one eye on the dragon at all times as she saw the gleam of gold in between creamy eggs. The Horntail looked at her lazily through hooded eyes, tracing her movements in what appeared to be a state of amusement. Hermione trod very carefully, all the way into the nest, where she lent down to grab the egg. She didn't expect the huff of warm air to blow, however, and fell right into the middle of them. The dragon seemed to find this very funny, and Hermione just glared, until she remembered where she was and with what. She hastily picked up the egg to the cheers that echoed around the arena and left whilst the wizards entered to try and transport the dragon back to the forbidden forest.

Hermione left the arena and came out right into the pathway. Suddenly, she was tackled by a big pair of arms off the ground."Huh?!" She squealed, closing her eyes.  
"Oh Hermione! I thought the dragon was gonna eat yer alive!" Hagrid sobbed loudly, whisking her about in his arms. He eventually put her down but not before patting her rather harshly on the back. Hermione shook herself out of the shock of being quite literally swept off her feet and entered the medical tent.

Cedric was laying on the bed, half of his body covered in a thick white salve, with bits of red, singed skin peeking out. Viktor was on the next sporting a few bruises and an arm in a sling. They both smiled at her as she entered and she smiled back politely, before turning away to leave them to their healing. Due to the nature of her and Fleur's tactics, there wasn't much need for her to be in the medical tent as she had escaped the encounter rather unscathed, but she was looking for Fleur, although it appeared to Hermione that the blonde witch was not in the tent, or anywhere to be seen really.

"Ahhh! Mon amour.." said a tilted voice as soft arms wrapped around her waist and a head came to rest atop of hers.  
"Fleur? How did you do? Are you hurt?" Hermione asked as she turned to face Fleur, who was sporting a rather ugly bruise and a slight cut on the side of her face.  
"It is nothing, non? I did weel. I got 42 points out of 50." She said, grasping at Hermione's hand. "'Ow about we go find out what 'ou got, hmm?" She added, tugging Hermione along gently, leaving the two other champions to be treated by the mediwitch.

They came to a stop not too far from the tent, in clear view of where her points would be awarded and waited in anticipation.

Finally, the huddle separated and the judges stood in their separate seats ready to give her score. Dumbledore gave her a 10, Crouch gave her a 9, Ludo Bagman another 10, Madam Maxine an 8 and Karkaroff gave her a 6.  
"Oh! Well done, 'Ermione! 'ou got a 44, that puts 'ou on top!" Fleur said excitably, shaking her gently. Hermione just nodded in disbelief at the scores, not having expected to score so high at all.  
"Come on Fleur, let's get out of here before we get stormed." Hermione said after she had left her reprieve, and, with that, they made their way up to the castle, chatting away about the different aspects of their experience so far.


End file.
